Is Damascus in danger of death by initiative?

Approval of four initiatives on Damascus' ballot in March could pave the way for the fledgling city's eventual disincorporation, say local residents who oppose the measures.

The reasoning among some members of Livable Damascus is that the measures, taken together with three government-limiting initiatives passed in 2008, would all but end the city's ability to provide services. At that point, it wouldn't make sense to keep paying $1,000 a year in property taxes for a city that's essentially nonfunctioning, said Keith Marshall, a founding group member.

"I was a huge supporter of seeing Damascus incorporate in the first place, but I'd vote to disincorporate if all that came about," he said. "And there are a lot of people here who feel the same way."

Ballots went out this month and must be received by March 9. Controversy over the new ballot measures -- and what their approval could mean for Damascus -- is just the latest dispute in a largely rural area that voted in 2004 to become Oregon's first new city in 22 years.

It comes only weeks after at least three statewide groups devoted to limited government said Damascus has served as something of a laboratory in their attempts to place similar tax-limiting initiatives on the ballots of at least a dozen other small towns in Oregon by year's end.

Campaign finance records show that, since December 2007, two of the groups -- Americans for Prosperity Oregon and Taxpayers Association of Oregon -- have given nearly $12,000 in cash and in-kind contributions to a local group, Ask Damascus, to help promote the initiatives.

That far exceeded money donated to Friends of Damascus, a now defunct pro-city group.

"I'm beginning to feel like a guinea pig for these people," Livable Damascus member Joyce Schwer said. "It's like we are being experimented on."

Ask Damascus' Dan Phegley said his initiatives are less about anti-taxation than they are about giving local residents the right to vote on decisions affecting their lives and pocketbooks.

"It really puts Livable Damascus in a difficult position when they have to argue that making Damascus livable means stopping people from voting," he said. "That's the tough sell they have to make."

Two of the measures on the March ballot -- prohibiting light rail in Damascus without a vote and limiting the city's ability to use emergency clauses to speed new ordinances -- wouldn't have much immediate impact.

The two with more immediate significance seek to ban spending increases of more than 2.5 percent above the previous year and to repeal all of the city's 26 existing intergovernmental agreements and require voter approval before any new ones could be signed.

"All of these would need to be reapproved in special elections, which can cost as much as $11,000," said Marshall, of Livable Damascus. "That's their idea of saving us money?"

Both sides say they'll rely on lawn signs, fliers and word of mouth to get their messages out.

Given the large victory margins of Ask Damascus' previous initiatives, said Mayor Jim Wright, pro-city forces face an uphill battle.

"It would break my heart if all of this ended up leading only to disincorporation," he said. "But there's no doubt the city will be severely hamstrung if these measures pass."